It may seem like bad luck for LSU coming out of an extension loss to Florida for having South Carolina in the first place waiting for it.
But, at this time of the season, having a chance at one of the big teams is the best that Lady Tigers can ask for to reach the complaint at 1pm on Sunday at Colonial Life Arena. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
The loss to Florida undermined hopes of entering the NCAA tournament. ESPN bracketologist Charlie Crème does not have Lady Tigers among his eight SEC teams in the tournament, instead, among the four runners-up.
LSU (8-9, 6-5 at the SEC) can gain ground playing four of these SEC teams – Southern Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi State – to close the regular season.
“It is always difficult to cross the finish line,” said LSU owner Khayla Pointer. “We had good victories and some defeats that we would have liked to have recovered. We could have done a few different things, but trying to stay the course. Florida played a great game. We didn’t do the things we used to do.
“We usually have a stifling defense, but we had a lot of breakdowns and were defeated. At this time of year, you can’t miss games at home. It’s a tough stretch, but let’s get our LSU basketball out on the road, make sure we play our best ball. “
South Carolina (16-2, 11-0) takes first place in the Associated Press poll and is playing its third game in a week. The Gamecocks lost to UConn 63-59 Monday and defeated Missouri, 77-62, Thursday. They are likely to be replaced in next week’s poll by the Huskies.
LSU played USC hard in the first meeting, a loss of 69-65. The Lady Tigers led by two entering the fourth half, but a bad shot allowed the Gamecocks to enter their transition offensive and hold on. LSU played very defensively, forcing 16 turnovers, and remained relatively close on the charts (39-33) against one of the best rebound teams in the country.
Defense and rebound were the problems on Thursday against Florida, as well as shootouts in overtime.
“In the last 3-4 minutes they started their transition game and we weren’t scoring, so we weren’t able to define our defense,” said LSU coach Nikki Fargas. “We need to define our defense against South Carolina and many opponents. But being right says a lot about our growth. We try to learn from it and apply it to the next game. We are a very good recovery team. SC is one of the best in the country and look what we can do. “
The Gamecocks are led by striker Aliyah Boston, who scored 20 points and 14 rebounds in the first clash, and goalkeeper Destanni Henderson, who scored 16 points and eight assists. South Carolina had 48 points in the painting and 30 in the transition baskets.
“It was a dog fight a few weeks ago,” said Pointer of the first encounter. “We like challenges. We have to try to make it difficult for them, to limit their transition points. And we have to keep them away from offensive rebounds. They are number 1 for a reason, but we have to go out there and fight. “